Was Trump right to declare 'national emergency' for border wall?

NOUAKCHOTT — Mauritania’s military rulers announced a 24-member government yesterday, including four women but no defense minister, three days after naming Sidi Mohamed Ould Boubacar as prime minister.

No members of the government of President Maaouiya Ould Taya, who was ousted, were included, according to the decree signed by junta head Col. Ely Ould Mohamed Vall.

The new foreign minister would be Ahmed Ould Sid’Ahmed.

UGANDA

Papers threatened over Garang theories

KAMPALA — Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni yesterday threatened to close several local newspapers if they persist in publishing conspiracy theories about the death of Sudanese Vice President John Garang.

At a memorial ceremony for the seven Ugandan crew members who died with Mr. Garang in the July 30 crash of a Ugandan presidential helicopter, Mr. Museveni said such reports were a threat to regional security and that he would not tolerate them.

The newspapers in question have printed a variety of speculative stories about Mr. Garang’s death in recent days, with one quoting unnamed intelligence sources as saying that the ex-rebel leader’s body was found riddled with bullets when recovered from the wreckage of the helicopter.

KENYA

Minister vows war on graft

NAIROBI — Kenyan anti-corruption advocates yesterday welcomed a vow by the justice minister to wage a “ruthless” war on graft but questioned whether it would produce tangible results given previous unmet government pledges.

In addition, some suggested that Kiraitu Murungi’s rare acknowledgement of Nairobi’s failure on the graft issue and stark admission of long-standing donor complaints might be counterproductive and further damage its credibility.

“If [government officials] say they can’t fight it, then it’s not right and this is dangerous,” said Tom Ojienda, chairman of the Law Society of Kenya, which has been a frequent critic of the government’s inaction on graft. “It is not a good picture for this country to the donor community.”

MOZAMBIQUE

Press freedom seen at risk

MAPUTO — Mozambican authorities violated the freedom of the press several times last year and even created a “climate of fear” in some districts, the head of a southern African press watchdog has said.

Salomao Moyana of the Media Institute of Southern Africa said late Tuesday that this was specially true of local community radio networks where district administrators played around with news content and often “assumed the role of editors.”